Hands that Talk
by OtterOuji
Summary: Everyone has safely met up in Argus after the train crash and are currently renting a house while Qrow tries to get someone from the Atlisian military base to allow them passage into the continent of Solitas. After General Ironwood's closing of the boarders, the team must find some way to get the relic of knowledge to Atlas. But trouble seems to follow them wherever they go.
1. CH 1 Unexpected Beatings

CH 1 Unexpected Beatings

RWBY vol 6 spoilers for ep 1

CH song to listen to while reading: Naruto soundtrack - Sadness and Sorrow watch?v=wEWF2xh5E8s

Yang "What is she doing here?!"

Blake "Doesn't matter, just don't let your guard down!"

Weiss "I thought she was supposed to be dead! Ruby?"

Ruby "Don't look at me, she fell off an airship! Who survives that?! Gahh!"

The pink and brown haired villainess was currently taking immense pleasure in slamming her boot into the hooded girl's abdomen.

Ruby "We were only shopping, why'd we have to end up fighting in the rain? Oww"

Blake "Doesn't she seem off to you?"

Yang "Yeah no, she seems perfectly fine trying to KILL us! DAMN – IT!" None of Yang's shotgun blasts were hitting their target as Neo gracefully danced around the incoming projectiles. Her trademark smile was currently missing from her face however.

Blake "No I mean look at her, her clothes are filthy and torn, she doesn't look like she has bathed in weeks and isn't that Torchwick's hat?"

Weiss "Oh NOW you're taking an interest in the enemy's fashion?"

Neo blocked the incoming bullets from Blake's Gambol Shroud with her umbrella, however she hadn't seen the boarbatusk Weiss summoned. The glowing white apparition smashed right into her side and sent the petite woman flying four feet in the air. Though knocked to the floor, Neo quickly rolled back to her feet just in time to counter a fist from the blond brawler.

Yang's fists swung wildly and with purpose but she just couldn't seem to land a hit on the agile mute, however she had managed to get far closer than Neo would have liked. Catching one of Yang's punches with the cane of her umbrella, Neo was able to get her assailant off balance enough to hop on her back and use her as a stringboard. Once airborne, Neo tossed a pair of daggers at the main source of her sorrow who was still planted on the floor clutching her stomach.

Jaune "Ruby!" Not a second too late. With what had resulted in a running dive that put him on his back, Jaune had managed to get his shield in position just in time to deflect the airborne blades.

Ruby "Heh thanks Jaune. You alright?"

Jaune "Yeah no big, it's just my back.

Ruby "Where are Ren and Nora?"

Jaune "Oh you know, date night. Didn't want to interrupt their first one. Here." Back on his feet, Jaune offered up his hand to the young huntress. Even in the midst of battle Jaune was still a gentleman, a fact that Ruby took immense pleasure being on the receiving end of. She gladly accepted his hand and allowed him to pull her up off the wet street.

Jaune "So who are we up against today?"

Ruby "Neo."

Jaune "The quiet one?"

Ruby "Jaune not the time. She is literally kicking Weiss' butt"

That she was. The (ex) heiress had just received a roundhouse kick to her rear that sent her toppling forward and nearly into a water trough.

Jaune "Where are Qrow and Ozpin?"

Ruby "Trying to find us passage into Solitas remember?"

Jaune "Don't you think you should have called them? This isn't exactly an easy opponent from what I've heard."

Ruby "Tried but his phone is dead." Dumb 'bad luck' semblance.

With that Ruby rejoined her team in combat. Four on one would have been difficult for even the most skilled huntsmen and Neo was no different. Although she was able to deflect or doge most of the attacks sent her way, she was still taking hits that whittled away at her aura.

Jaune "Yang look out!" Neo took the chance and tripped Yang, using the larger woman's momentum to send her flying in Jaune's direction. The buxom brawler came sliding up next to him with a fresh coat of mud all over her back.

Yang "Not now Jaune, kinda busy here. AHH My hair! How is someone so little that strong?!"

Jaune "No wait, I have a plan." Jaune punched his shield and although Yang didn't get it, Ruby had.

Ruby "Great idea Jaune. Yang, get in close. Blake, Weiss! Keep your distance and fire!"

Breaking off her attack, Weiss used her glyphs to quickly retreat out of the bladed umbrella's reach before firing off a round of Fire dust projectiles. Neo managed to doge most of the fireballs but one had landed on target, leaving searing burn damage to her ankle. Soon Ruby joined in, firing from Crescent Rose while Blake fired from Gambol shroud. It took everything Neo had to avoid most of the volley of gunfire.

She would have just used her umbrella to block all the fire, however Jaune and Yang kept getting in close to the nimble fighter and wouldn't give her a moment to rest. Between the hail of bullets, flying fists and slashing sword, Neo's situation was going from bad to worse.

Blake "Why isn't she using her semblance?"

Jaune "She must not have enough aura to activate her semblance _and_ take those hits."

Ruby "We've almost got her! Don't let up."

A stray bullet passed through Neo's right ankle bringing her down to the ground on one knee. She opened her umbrella to block the following shots but immediately received a punch from Yang's robotic arm square in the jaw. The force of the hit sent the woman toppling over, skidding across the wet road and face first into a puddle.

Jaune "Hold your fire!" Jaune bellowed out, to which everyone complied.

Now surrounded, Neo grabbed her umbrella off the ground and used it to slowly help get on her feet. With the speed of the battle taking a much-needed moment of rest, everyone took the chance to catch their breath. Bloodstains blossomed all over Neo's clothes as she fought to stand. Her chest rose and fell as the woman struggled to breath. Wiping the blood dripping into her eye from a cut on her forehead, she once more took a shaky battle stance with her weapon pointed in Ruby's direction despite the poor shape she was in.

Ruby "Just give up, you can't win."

Yang "Yeah make this easier for all of us and just stay down."

Ignoring their words Neo tried to lunge in Ruby's direction but the act was quickly interrupted when Yang used Ember Celica to shoot a blast into Neo's good leg, making a mess of the woman's calf. She fell hard face first into another puddle while a voiceless scream rang out into the storming night sky.

Jaune "Hey wait! She's out of aura, you could kill her!"

Yang "Sorry, I – I didn't know." Yang had acted purely on instinct to protect her one and only sister from the violent, crazed woman before them. Never had she intended to cause such harm to another human, regardless if they deserved it.

Once more Neo forced herself to stand despite both legs having bullet wounds, though now she could only remain standing while propped up with her umbrella. The force of trying to stand caused blood to gush out of the bullet wounds turning her white boots red. Still Neo refused to back down.

Jaune "Why?! Why do you go so far? Just surrender already!"

Jaune's voice was almost pleading, but he was still only met with a scowl from the broken woman. And that's when he saw it, the dead lifeless look in her good eye. The other one had swollen shut after Yang's earlier punch had sent her flying to the ground. Before she could mouth any kind of threat, Neo was brought to the ground in a coughing fit. When she looked up blood was trailing down from her mouth.

Jaune "She still hasn't said anything has she?"

Yang "Nope, crazy mute."

Yang's insult had given Jaune an idea. It was a long shot, but it just might work. He put away his sword and shield and started slowly walking towards Neo, his hands up and out stretched as if approaching a dangerous wild animal.

Blake "What are you doing?!"

Weiss "Are you insane?"

Ruby "Guys, Jaune must have a plan. Lets trust him." At least Ruby hoped he had a plan. She really, really hoped he did.

Seeing the man walk toward her, Neo quickly raised her bladed umbrella in his direction from her spot on the street. The sheer action proved too much for her weakened muscles and what should have been an intimidating threat looked like nothing more than a desperate last cry. She held the umbrella with one shaking hand in the air while her other hand desperately tried to support her off the ground. The action did not deter the man, if anything it strengthened his resolve.

Still a few feet away from her, Jaune stopped and began moving his hands around in a way that caused the mute woman's eye to open wide with surprise. Her weapon arm lowered to the ground but the blade remained pointed at him.

Jaune {Why do you refuse to give up? What moves you to destroy your body like this? Please stop this before it is too late.}

Much to everyone's surprise Neo moved her umbrella to act like a crutch under her arm and began moving her hands in a similar fashion.

Neo {Where did you even learn sign language?!}

Jaune {I have a sister who is deaf, it helps to know these things.}

Jaune shrugged and flashed his best charming smile hoping it would help ease some of the tension. After a minute of Neo getting a good look at her surroundings, everyone else still had their weapons drawn and at the ready, she reluctantly replied to the one person whom she was able to speak with.

Neo {I have to get my revenge.}

Seeing as how signing had gotten Neo to open up, Jaune decided to continue speaking in a language that was exclusively for the two of them.

Jaune {Revenge on who?}

Neo {Red.}

Jaune {Red? Do you mean Ruby?}

Neo shot Ruby a piercing glare, the likes of which brought shivers down her spine. Unconsciously Ruby took a step back while cocking Crescent Rose. If looks could kill, ouch. Ruby felt the full force of that hatred and her desire for Jaune to quickly back away to safety hitched up into the back of her throat. But Ruby trusted Jaune, so she remained silent and kept her concerns to herself.

Neo {She took away the only person I had left.}

Jaune { . . . Torchwick? Because of you two many people have lost their lives.}

Neo {And I lost my world! I have nothing now, nothing except my revenge.}

She couldn't fight back the tears any longer. They began flowing down her face as she spoke the reality she had desperately tried to ignore.

Jaune {You can't live for revenge, trust me. Look what it's done to you.}

Before she could respond, Neo coughed up more blood and began gasping for air. The rain of bullets had wounded not just her legs, but also her arms, face; her whole body was scared. Neo would have been covered in her own blood if not for the rain currently washing it away. Catching her breath, she once more propped herself up on her umbrella from the crimson dyed puddle she was sitting in.

Neo {Without it what am I supposed to do? Go to prison? Rot in jail or rot on the streets, it makes no difference.}

Weiss "Will someone please explain to me what is going on?"

Jaune "Weiss, shush."

Weiss "Uhh you did _not_ just tell me to shush?"

Jaune {Let me help you. I can boost your Aura so you can heal yourself. You don't need to die here today.}

Neo { . . . Why would you do that? I'll just come after you all again.}

Jaune {You don't have to.}

Neo {Then what am I going to do? I have nowhere to go, nobody waiting for me, no purpose. I'm all alone.}

It would seem with the admission of her situation Neo had finally lost what little control she still had on the floodgates of her tear ducts. She was reduced to a crying mess as the rush of pent up emotions overtook her.

Nora "Sorry we're late, came as soon as we got your message Ruby."

Ren "What'd we miss?"

Blake "We ran into one of Torchwick's associates."

Ruby "And now Jaune is waving his hands in the air and making her cry."

Weiss "They are talking in sign language you dunce. No one here knows what they're saying though."

Jaune "I'm going to use my semblance to heal her."

Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang all questioned his poor decision in unison. Each woman gave up good reasons why that was a BAD idea.

Jaune "I'm only going to heal her enough so her life isn't in danger!"

To prove Jaune's words true Neo tossed her umbrella towards Ren and Nora, the only people who hadn't tried to hurt her. Reluctantly everyone allowed Jaune to continue, though they never fully let down their guard. Jaune knelt down next to the broken and batter ice cream girl. A few minutes in and the bleeding had stopped. With the rush of adrenaline subsiding and the searing pain all over her body being replaced by the warm comfort of Jaune's semblance, Neo found herself far more exhausted than she had thought. Unable to fight it back any further, she passed out and fell right into the blonde man's arms; Torchwick's hat finally falling off her head when she collided with her healer's embrace.


	2. CH 2 The morning after

CH song to listen to while reading: Nine Days- Absolutely (Story of a girl) watch?v=ZIANBamMgas

When Neo finally regained consciousness, she found herself in an unknown bed, in an unknown room wearing someone else's clothes. It wasn't a prison cell, that was her first thought. Not a hospital room either. The furnishings were nice, not good but nice. She lay on a twin size bed and the room was fairly sparse except for the nightstands, two lamps and HER UMBRELLA! At the foot of the bed, nestled in the corner, were her umbrella and Roman's hat. It had even been cleaned.

With two of her only possessions back in her hands, Neo was able to let out a content sigh of relief as she allowed herself to relax in the comfy bed. She couldn't remember the last time she had actually been able to sleep in a bed. After the fall of Beacon, it'd been nothing but camping out and wondering where her next meal would come from. Kind of like her childhood she reluctantly mused to herself.

While she was lost in thought the door to the room eased open and in came a shadowed figure. Neo was quick to hop on hand and knees on the bed with one arm pointing the umbrella in the door's direction. She let out a little pout when the blade hadn't come out. Must have been removed she figured.

"Oh good, your awa- oomph."

Upon seeing whom the figure was, Neo's face instantly flushed. The blonde mop headed man whom she had somehow been so easily able to open up to, Jaune Arc, had just walked into her room. Grabbing the nearest projectile, she had tossed one of the bed pillows and whomped him right in the head.

"Hey what was that f- oomph!"

Once more a pillow flew through the air and smacked him in the face. As it fell Jaune got a good look at his attacker for the first time since the battle. Her hair had lost all of its volume thanks to the rain and lay straight flowing down her back and cascading across her face. Her hair framed her face perfectly, each side coated in brown and pink respectively. Neo was wearing one of Ruby's pajama sets, a light tan color button down shirt with matching pants. The outfit was clearly too large on Neo's small frame but still the top three buttons were undone so it would fit. Say what you would about Neo's height, but her bust certainly wasn't small, especially with the precarious position she was in. Neo was essentially bent over on all fours atop the bed. Her face, a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

Through the opening of her shirt, Neo's deep valley was on full display as nothing worked to support her two impressive hills. Noticing where Jaune's eyes were trailing, she quickly sat up. Clutching the top of her shirt closed, Neo somehow turned and even brighter shade of pink before tossing a third pillow at her intruder. She was mortified beyond words and let out angry mute noises. Not only had he seen her at her worst, BUT now he had seen her 'everything'! By the time the fourth pillow hit him, he finally realized what this looked like. A woman wakes up in an unknown place, wearing someone else's clothes and someone she was trying to kill walks in. Yeah it was beyond suspicious.

"Wait. Wait." Jaune pleaded, arms out stretched in a defensive pose as Neo grabbed the next closest thing, a lamp. "I know what this looks like but please let me explain."

Somehow he was able to convince her to listen to his side of things. Neo sat cross-legged on the bed, her hand palming her trusty umbrella in case she needed to strike at a moments notice. Her top three buttons had been closed despite the fabric's plea to open. Jaune sat across from the bed on the chair that partnered with a small writing desk. He sat there just as silent as the woman before him while he tried to organize his thoughts, oh but where to start? Letting out a large sigh the man rubbed the back of his neck as he decided to start at where he felt was most important.

"We haven't contacted the Atlisian military or told anyone else about you, though I'm sure there must have been some people who witnessed the fight."

Good she thought. Neo was still glaring at Jaune from the other side of the room, only half believing in his story. With the kind of life she has lived, you don't last long believing in everything you hear.

"We're keeping Yang far away from your room and someone is always standing guard so you don't need to worry about her barging in here. Oh right, we are renting this house. Don't worry," She didn't. "There are plenty of rooms so there is no problem giving you your own space."

Knowing she had her own room was . . . unsettling, but not having to look at any of her captors was fortunate. Neo's eyes narrowed into slits as sharp as daggers at Jaune as she clutched the top of her shirt with her free hand.

"Oh right! Umm . . . After the fight I healed you, then you kind of passed out. I carried you back here and Nora, the orange haired girl that came late, well she dried you off and changed your clothes."

Neo eased her guard hearing that she hadn't been stripped naked by this fool, though for some reason she felt a twinge of disappointment in that fact. Sure he was a fool, but he was nice, too nice. People like him don't exist she thought, yet his words didn't carry any of the half-truths or double meanings that she was used to hearing.

"After Nora cleaned you up she and Ren, Ren was the man who arrived with her." Seriously, Neo remembered all their dumb faces from the Vital Tournament, but she held her tongue as he continued. "They both treated your wounds. How _are_ you feeling by the way?"

There had been too much to take in at first to worry about her health. She inspected her body, from the bullet wounds on her legs, to everywhere she could think; Neo couldn't find any of her wounds. In fact she didn't feel any pain or discomfort. She felt fine for the first time in months. The surprise must have been written on her face because the blond fool began to giggle at her, which just received a playful pout in response.

"Alright I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh. You were just too cute there for a second. Oops sorry I didn't mean that!"

Cute, her? Really? Sure she'd been called that before. Usually from sleazy drunks or it was tossed around sarcastically. But she had never heard it said so _earnestly_ before, not even by Roman. Neo liked this man less and less as each of his words just sent burning sensations to her cheeks.

GURGLE! GURGLE! GURGLE!

Neo " . . . "

Jaune " . . ."

Neo's face shot from a deep natural pink to a radiant crimson as her stomach decided to join the conversation. She simply sat there mortified as neither made any kind of motion. Stifling back a laugh, Jaune let himself out without so much as a word. Once the door clicked shut and she heard his footsteps grow more distant, she quickly buried her head under the pillows that Jaune had returned to her bed. For years she had worked hard to become this cool, dangerous, sexy woman; so why was it that in front of this man she was showing so many of her embarrassing sides?! With her head buried under the mound of pillows, her legs flailed about like a teenager going through some kind of emotional crisis. A few minutes later and she was finally regaining her composure. Just in time for her room's door to open again.

Jaune was caught completely off guard when he entered Neo's room for the second time. His return had caused her to spring up from her mound of pillows like a meerkat on high alert, her back facing the door when she did. Slowly Neo turned around, face once more beet red, to see the blond man doing his best to stifle a laugh that needed to get out. In his hands was a tray with two mugs and a covered bowl.

". . . I hope you like hot chocolate. Pft"

He forced himself to say the words through a straight face. Neo wanted _SO_ badly to jump off that bed and slit his throat, but she'd only be doing it to hide her embarrassment. Nothing wrong in that, right? She decided instead to stare between him and the tray with doubtful eyes.

"Don't give me that, it's not poisoned." Jaune took a sip from one of the mugs before handing it to her. "There now if you die then we both die together."

The thought was oddly comforting. With a coy smile she eyed the bowl. Jaune rolled his eyes and ate a spoon full of the stew he had brought. Content that she'd have a partner in death, Neo happily accepted the offering and did her best to eat elegantly. However her face just had to betray her. After one spoonful Neo's face had gone from a beacon of embarrassment to radiating pure joy. You'd think she had the best tasting meal ever and not just some Hodge Podge everyone had thrown together. Neo couldn't remember the last time she had a warm meal, not unless you counted fire-grilled lizard.

After finishing her food, any semblance of a lady had been tossed out the window. She lay on her back, propped up by the pile of pillows, and rubbed her now full and content belly. Neo had fallen prey to the Arc charm. She didn't care anymore. He had taken care of her, worried about her, fed her; even if it was only for a passing moment he _cared_ about her. There was a new feeling bubbling up from inside, melting the frost off her ice cream heart. She felt safe. Of course she knew at any second they could turn on her, turn her in or get some kind of revenge when her guard was down. But with that dopy smile directed at her, all her cares just seemed to fade away.


	3. CH 3 Hands off!

CH song to listen to while reading: Simple plan – Can't keep my hands off of you. watch?v=jagBu2bqI7c

Ruby "Jaune get up, it's morn- eck. NEO! That's the second time this week. Stop climbing into Jaune's bed!"

Neo and Jaune both stirred awake and wiped the sleep from their eyes. Seeing that it was Ruby yelling at them, Neo wrapped her arms back around the man's waist and snuggled back into his chest. Jaune was the perfect heater to cling to on cold nights and she had no intention of getting up just yet.

Jaune "Wha- Neo?! Not again."

Everyone was gathered in the kitchen for one of Ren's _special_ breakfast treats, rainbow pancakes. He mixed different ingredients into different bowls of batter so there were a variety of tastes to choose from. There were Chocolate chip pancakes and strawberry pancakes; they were eaten nearly _exclusively_ by a disgruntled Ruby Rose. Pancakes made with orange zest and lemon zest since Ren had insisted that a zester was an important tool in any kitchen. He had pumpkin pancakes, blueberry pancakes, cinnamon pancakes and even apple caramel pancakes.

Jaune "I said I was sorry, what more do you want from me?"

Ruby "I said I wasn't mad! And you could start with not letting her into your room."

Jaune "I never _let_ her in, she snuck in. I even locked my door last night."

'Of course she could pick locks' Ruby huffed to herself while stuffing another fork full of pancakes into her mouth. Nora and Weiss silently listened to their leaders argue while Ren worked his magic, also lending an ear to the bickering duo. Oscar wisely joined the three in their silent observation.

Ruby "Three weeks Jaune, she's been here three weeks. She says she didn't know anything about Salem's plan or even who Salem is, so why is she still here?

Nora "I mean, you guys did nearly send her to an early grave."

The cold glare that Weiss and Ruby shot at Nora was enough to freeze the room.

Nora "And . . . you did kinda try to turn her into to the military. Even if she was nowhere to be found when they came. All three times."

Ruby "That's because she is dangerous!"

Against Jaune's wishes, they had called the Atlisian military to take Neo into custody, however each time, no matter how hard they tried to contain her; Neo was able to sneak off without leaving so much as a trace. She would always return later when they least expected it, so they gave up on turning her in. Twice was a coincident but three times was a pattern, one they didn't want to endlessly repeat.

Jaune "Ruby, she has nowhere else to go. Besides she hasn't once tried to hurt you or anyone else since that night. Except for that one time when Qrow caught her drinking from his stash."

Nora "Yeah, but aren't they like drinking buddies now or something? Where is Qrow?"

Ozpin taking over "It would seem Qrow and Ms. Neo had another drinking contest last night. I imagine he is still in his room, getting ready to wake up with a hangover."

Ruby just rolled her eyes. That explains it. The last time Neo and her uncle Qrow had sat down to drink, Ruby had found Neo in Jaune's bed. The woman's shirt was nearly unbuttoned to boot!

Ren "Yang and Blake are supposed to be getting back from their mission today right? It'll be nice to see them again."

Their stay in Argus was lasting longer than they had planned and their group was starting to run low on traveling funds. Blake had volunteered Yang and herself to go on a few small missions to earn some spending money to help. In truth she needed to get some distance between Yang and Neo. The Faunus of the group had hoped that the Ice cream girl would be gone by the time they returned from their three-day mission.

Jaune "What is your problem with Neo anyways?

Ruby " . . . That Jaune, that."

Neo had finally decided to get up. She was half asleep while walking down the stairs wearing Jaune's Pumpkin Pete hoodie looking for her bed warmer. The jacket was clearly too big on her with the end of it resting around her thighs. If she wanted, Neo could probably wear nothing underneath and nobody would know. In fact Ruby wasn't so sure that wasn't what the girl was currently doing.

Ruby "She does this kind of thing all the time, and only to you. She is always sneaking into your bed, stealing your clothes and hanging off of you. Aren't you sick of it?"

Jaune "Seven sisters Ruby. I'm used to it already. BUT I'll go talk to her. She really shouldn't be walking around like that."

Jaune left the table to go talk to Neo and get her to change before joining everyone for breakfast. By now Neo had almost been fully accepted into the group, except for the continued protests of a few voices. The slight blush on Jaune's face did not go unnoticed by anyone however when he walked over to the half dressed woman. Neither did Ruby slamming her milk glass on the table when Neo wrapped her small arms around Jaune's muscular arm. Or the crack in Ruby's glass when the petite woman looked back to the table with a wink and all-knowing smirk as Jaune escorted her back upstairs.

Weiss "You know," she said, tip towing around the topic. "If it bothers you so much then you should really just tell him."

Ruby "I- uh, I have no idea what you're talking about."

The whole table just gave her a look that said they knew exactly what she was trying to hide from them, or from herself. Before anyone could poke further into the subject they heard the front door open and slam shut.

Yang "Good morning~ Did you guys miss us?"

Blake "Weiss, Ruby, we're back."

Welcoming the distraction, Ruby zipped to the rest of her team in a flurry of rose-petals.

Ruby "Oh it's so good to have both of you back!"

Yang "Hiya sis~"

Blake "Is our . . . 'guest' still here?"

The sudden shift from joy to disgust on Ruby's face was all the answer they needed.

Yang "When is Jaune going to get rid of that stray?"

Blake physically backed away from Yang at the rude comment. She gave her a very disapproving look before walking off, her travel bag in tow.

Yang "What!? It's cause she's a bit-"

Blake "Yang. Not cool."

Ruby "Blake . . ."

Blake "I'm just going to put my stuff down Ruby. Then I'll join you all for breakfast. It smells delicious Ren!"

Blake's comment got a smile out of Ren who was still slaving away over a hot stove. She then headed up the stairs leaving the sisters alone in the entryway.

Ruby "Trouble in paradise?"

Yang "I could ask you the same."

Both sisters shared in a deep sigh before Yang decided to follow Blake's example and drag her luggage up to her room. She was stopped however by Weiss walking out to greet them.

Weiss "If you two are done out here, Ren's pancakes are getting cold. And now there is no one to stop Nora for eating everything.

The siblings shared a glance and smile before parting ways. Yang rushed up to her room, and to apologies to her partner, while Ruby went to rejoin everyone for what was left of breakfast.


	4. CH 4 A Blooming Rosebud

CH 4 A Blooming Rosebud

Author Notes: Woo hoo a new chapter! Time to find out what happened after the chaotic breakfast. Side note, does anyone like the song suggestions for the stories? If not I'll stop doing them. These are the songs I listen to on repeat when writing the chapters and thought I'd share with all you lovely people. OKAY onto the story~

CH song Opinion Overload – Simple Plan watch?v=HDklgJ3MCx0

Why, why, WHY did she have to hang all over him like that? WHY did he just let her? And WHY did it bother her so much?! Ruby Rose was mulling over how a perfectly good morning had been ruined because _someone_ insisted a known criminal join them in their meal, a criminal that was _trying_ to steal her best friend. Breakfast had long since ended, long enough for Qrow to wake up and wander down stairs. Sitting alone on the couch where not even comic books could distract her from her 'ice cream' headache, Ruby mulled over that morning once more.

Finding Neo in Jaune's bed was becoming the norm, not that she ever got used to it. She couldn't figure out why seeing those two together bothered her so much. Unfortunately, Jaune was right. Neo hadn't tried to hurt anyone since they brought her home. There were a few harmless pranks, mostly at Ruby or Jaune's expense, but nothing that'd cause any injuries and certainly nothing life threatening. Neo not hurting people was a good thing after all, so what should it matter if the psycho only needed a blonde impulse control.

Ruby: "Ugh, stupid Jaune. Stupid Neo. Stupid Jaune feeding stupid Neo. 'Oh I have seven sisters so I have to spoil her rotten.' What's up with that? He's never fed me before . . ."

Ruby was so absorbed in her own little world that she hadn't heard Yang walking up behind her. Seeing the golden opportunity presented before her, how could Yang resist? She grabbed an ice cube out of her cup and with a grace that'd make Blake proud, dropped the frozen bobble down the back of Ruby's shirt.

Ruby: "GAHH, COLD! COLD! COLD! YANG!?"

Yang: "Ha ha Sorry Rubes, you need to be more aware of your surroundings. "

Ruby: "Not cool!"

Yang: "Aww come on, don't go giving me the _cold shoulder_ over it. Heh heh."

Ruby: "What do you want?"

She couldn't help but roll her eyes at that one. She'd never admit it but Ruby really did miss her sister's puns. Yang hopped over the back of the couch to take a seat next to her favorite sister and rested her drink on the table in front of them.

Yang: "You doing alright? You're looking a little . . . bla."

Ruby: "I feel a little bla. heh heh. But yeah, I'm alright. How are things between you and Blake?"

Yang: "Oh that? We patched that up, no worries."

Ruby: "Heh that'd be nice." She scoffed under her breath. 'No worries' are exactly what she needed right now.

Yang: "Something on your mind Rubes? You know you can talk to me about anything that's troubling ya. What're big sisters for eh?"

Yang Xiao Long, the sunny little dragon as their dad would call her, always there to help when Ruby needed a shoulder to lean on. Especially now that her new shoulder was currently being used by someone else.

Ruby: "No there's nothing really. Just wondering when we're going to get to Atlas, we've been stuck here for too long."

Yang: "Hmm? Not that I don't agree with you, but I think there is something else eating at ya sis."

Confused, Ruby looked into her sister's eyes for answers and those lilac eyes looked back like they knew something they shouldn't.

Ruby: "No . . . well maybe."

Yang: "Let me guess, it's short, two toned and is where she doesn't belong right now?"

Ruby: "Is it that obvious?"

Yang: "I could practically grill an egg on your head this morning with the way you were glaring at her. I know why I don't like Neo, but what's your excuse Ruby?"

Yang had her suspicions, but she wanted to hear it form the horse's mouth first. It had started slow at first, Neo taking any chance she could get to cling onto Jaune. It always got a blush out of the leader and Ruby wasn't very good about hiding her disdain towards the two. Yang was pretty sure Neo was doing it deliberately to mess with the both of them. She hated to admit it, but it was a pretty good prank; though it was starting to get old fast.

Ruby: "I don't know. At first it was because she was a dangerous criminal, I mean she still is but she hasn't done anything bad since we ran into her."

Yang: "That we know of."

Ruby: " _Right._ Now I'm not sure what it is that bothers me about her."

Yang couldn't help but let out an audible sigh. Either Ruby was completely oblivious or the girl was in denial. Now the question Yang had to ask herself was, 'do I give her a much-needed shove or do I continue to sit back and watch?'

Yang: "Ruby are you sure it doesn't have anything to do with a knight in shining armor?"

Ruby just stared at her sister perplexed before it finally dawned on her a second later. The realization brought a rosy hue to her cheeks as she tried to protest.

Ruby: "What?! No! Jaune has nothing to do with this!"

Yang: "I never mentioned Jaune~" She teased, unable to hold back a wickedly playful smile.

Ruby: "Ugh well you implied it!"

Yang: "*sigh* Ruby I heard about what happened this morning from Weiss. If you keep this up, we're going to run out of dishes. I'm with Ice Queen on this one, if Jaune being close with Neo bothers you so much then you need to talk to him.

Ruby just sat there, her arms crossed not giving Yang the pleasure of her attention for the duration of the unwanted advice. Like all great things though, her resistance had to come to an end and she looked up at the cheeky grin plastered on her sister's face.

Ruby: "I hate you, you know that right?"

Yang: "Love you too sis." She said while ruffling up her troubled leader's hair. "If you need me, I'll be out back working on Bumblebee." She hopped off her comfy spot on the couch then spun around to shoot an accusing finger in Ruby's face. "Remember, talk-to-him."

Yang then turned on her heel and headed out towards her precious motorcycle. A little shove, right Xiao Long? Good job. Yang patted herself on the back as she took one more glance over her shoulder at her socially awkward sister. Ruby knew her way around weapons and a battlefield no problem, but the battlefield of the heart? Now that was something Ruby had to navigate on her own.

Ruby Rose was once more alone in the large room; left alone to stew on her sister's unwanted advice. First Weiss, now Yang; what were they talking about?! They made it sound like she liked Jaune. Well she did like him but like, _like_ him?

Nora: "Hey Rubibbles, you got a sec?"

Ruby: "Hey Nora, Right now's not-"

Jaune: "WAH HEY!"

Both women's attention was immediately drawn to the upstairs balcony as Neo could be seen dragging Jaune by his arm towards the stairs while he tried to keep up with her. She was oddly dressed up, WAIT was that Weiss' old battle outfit?!

Jaune: "I guess we're going out for a bit I'll keep her out of trouble see you guys later."

SLAM! And out the front door the two of them disappeared.

Ruby: "You know what, yeah I can spare a sec."

And she needed the distraction. The girl was practically fuming as her face burned red.

Nora: "My room, five minutes, don't be late. The doctor is in!"

Nora was great for a pep-up. Her personality always managed to liven up the room and Ruby was actually looking forward to whatever Nora had planned. Maybe she wanted help upgrading Magnhild~

Ruby: ". . . uh Nora, what's with the mustache?"

Nora: "It's to set the mood silly~ Now step into my office!"

Ruby was starting to regret this decision. Exactly five minutes had passed before she met Nora at her room just as the powerhouse of the group had instructed her.

Nora: "Now zell me, vhat is bothering you?"

Ruby: "Uuuuugh! Not you too!"

Nora: "Now now, ve must get to ze bottom of vhis."

Nora was taking her psychiatrist role-play too seriously for Ruby's taste. Still Ruby was lying on the bed while Nora sat in a chair next to her, writing something on a notepad.

Ruby: "There is nothing wrong! Why does everyone think something is wrong?! Can I go now?"

Nora: "Umm hmm, umm hmm. And zell me Ms. Rose, how do you veel about Jaune and Neo's relationship?" Nora inquired through crooked eyebrows.

Ruby: "Relationship?!" The young girls voice cracked a pitch Nora didn't know the little reaper could reach. "They don't have a relationship! What are you talking about? That's crazy, you're crazy!"

Ruby felt a pit in her stomach thinking about the possibility of those two being in _that_ sort of relationship. It would certainly explain their clingy behavior. Of course, finding Neo in Jaune's bed would be on a whole new level of bad. NOPE! NOPE! NOPE! Not thinking about it!

Letting out a sigh that also washed away her cheery disposition, Nora removed her fake Prof. Port mustache and quietly observed her flailing comrade.

Nora: "Ruby," She said flatly. "You like Jaune don't you, as more than a friend?"

It felt more like a statement than a question but the meaning was nevertheless there. Ruby was seeing a side of Nora that she seldom witnessed, and that serious look made it hard to lie.

Ruby: ". . . I mean yeah, maybe as a best friend. Wiess and I are besties, but Jaune is probably my best guy friend."

Nora didn't seem convinced. Neither did Ruby if the way she tapped her two index fingers together was any indication.

Nora: "What makes Jaune your best friend over say Ren, or Sun?"

Ruby: "Well he was the first friend I made at Beacon. He's also funny and fun to talk to. We're both leaders so we can understand one another there and we've always been there to help each other out. He helped cheer me up when Qrow was poisoned and I was stressing out about getting everyone in danger. Thanks to Jaune I didn't lose faith in myself, he gave me hope. He has always helped calm me down and cheer me up now that I think about it. It's relaxing to be with him; he gives off that kinda vibe. Not only that, I've seen how far he's come and I'm really proud of him. I mean back when he chopped off the head of that Ursa while protecting Cardin, and holding his own against that Grimm at Kuroyuri he looked so cool! Uhh don't tell him I said that, please."

The smile on Nora's face just continued to grow as Ruby ranted about the loveable dork of a leader. She knew Ruby had a crush on Jaune but she didn't realize it was this bad.

Ruby: "Hey, what are you smiling at? It looks creepy."

Nora: "Nothing much. You seem to really care about Jaune."

Ruby: "Of course I do, he's like family. You all are."

Nora: "Aww Ruby, that's so sweet. We think of you as family too!"

The silver eyed warrior was trapped in a bear hug that was far harder to escape than the one her blonde sister often gave her.

Ruby: "Ugh Nora, you're crushing me."

Nora: "Oh sorry Ruby. You know, Jaune cares a lot about you too."

Hearing that caused her to perk up, but still she refused to look Nora in the eyes. Thankfully the light blush on her face was easy enough to see.

Ruby: "I know that, he cares about all of us. He should care more about himself if you ask me. He's always over training and taking unnecessary risks. I don't care if he has a huge pool of Aura, that's no excuse."

Nora: "Yeah but he always seems more concerned with your wellbeing than with anyone else's. Or haven't you noticed all the times he's rushed to your side?"

That weird pit in Ruby's stomach had migrated up and into her heart. Something was giving it a squeeze but she just couldn't figure out what. Was Nora right? Did she have feelings for Jaune that went beyond friendship? Was she falling for him, did she fall for him, had she already fallen for him? If so, when? For how long? Her mind became a flurry of questions before Nora's voice snapped her out of it.

Nora: "Now I'm saying this as your friend, you shouldn't bottle up or deny your true feelings. It's not healthy and it'll leave you with nothing but regrets."

Ruby: "Speaking from personal experience?"

Nora: "Mmm hmm."

Ruby: ". . . you and Ren?"

Despite her recent behavior, Ruby wasn't blind. Even she could tell Nora had feelings for Ren. That, and she noticed something had changed between them after the fight with the Nuckelavee in the ruins of Kuroyuri. They seemed closer now, more intimate then they had been. She _thought_ that they had finally gotten together-together as Nora would put it.

Nora: "Pyrrha . . ."

The room was silent. All the color from Ruby's face washed out leaving a porcelain frown behind. You could hear a pin drop in the room.

Nora: "I don't know if you noticed, but Pyrrha had a really bad crush on Jaune. She didn't do a very good job of hiding it, yet Jaune still never noticed."

Ruby: ". . . I uh. I thought that after the dance they had gotten together."

Nora just sadly shook her head. Oh, if only it was that simple.

Nora "No . . . even after Jaune had given up on Weiss and she had no competition, Pyrrha still never made that final move. She thought she had all the time in the world to wait for him to recognize her feelings."

Ruby: "But, the way Jaune acts whenever someone brings her up-"

Nora: "Yeah something must have happened the night beacon fell, but he still hasn't told us the whole story. He'll tell us when he is ready."

Once more the room was silent as they mourned their fallen friend. Only the rhythmic sound of each girl's breathing filled the air before Nora couldn't stand the silence any longer.

Nora: "The whole time we were at Beacon I just sat back and watched over the two of them. Don't get me wrong I am no master of love so what advice could I give, really? But it was hard you know. Watching her encourage the man of her dreams to chase another woman. Pyrrha was just so self-conscious and afraid of what would happen if she confessed. 'What if he said no, what if he said yes?' In the end, she never got the chance to tell him her feelings."

Ruby: "Nora, that's . . . tragic, but I don't see what that has to do with me?"

Nora: "Ruby, Ren and I are dating now."

Well that came out of left field! Ruby wasn't sure how to react with the sudden tone shift in their conversation but she knew this was something worth celebrating. Still why did her counterpart seem so down expressing the happy news?

Ruby: "Congratulations?"

Nora: "Thanks, but do you know when we got together?"

Ruby didn't say anything, but that was alright. Nora wasn't looking for an answer. She stared wistfully past Ruby and into the memory.

Nora: "It was after Kuroyuri, when we were on the airship. Ren made the first move. We could finally be together-together and I was happy, ecstatic even." Nora let out another long sigh. "Ruby it took a near death experience where nearly none of us made it out alive before we could make any progress. And in the end, he was the one that finally made the first move while I was still too afraid to ruin what we had; even though I wanted so much more. Now I just feel silly for all that wasted time."

Now it was Ruby's turn to stare off into space, finally realizing the connection to her current situation. Okay yeah sure she probably had feelings for Jaune, feelings that she had tried to hide. Feelings she couldn't lie to herself about any longer, not when it pained her every time she saw Neo clinging to Jaune and a part of her wished their rolls were reversed. It seemed like everyone had figured it out before her . . . wait did Jaune know too? Did he know about her feelings and just ignore them like she had tried to?!

Nora: "Don't worry Ruby, I don't think Jaune knows you like him. He's a good guy but probably as dense as one of those guys in the comics you both read."

Her worry must have been written all over her face since Nora had brought it up so fast. After their little giggle fit both girls settled into a much lighter mood before returning to the topic at hand.

Ruby: ". . . what do I do?"

Nora: "You go get your man!"

Nora said with the same cheeriness that she'd become synonymous with. Ruby couldn't help but raise a judgmental brow at the ginger's advice. Especially after hearing about how _her_ love life came into existence. Sure, Nora's was a success story for taking it slow; but that didn't mean it always worked out.

Nora: "All I know is that if you wait too long then you will miss your chance. There is no way of knowing when is the right time to act, you just need to follow your heart and don't hesitate."

Ruby: "But what if Jaune only sees me as a kid? Do I even have a chance? I can't be all fancy pansy like Wiess-"

Nora: "Ruby Rose, I happen to know for a fact that our Jaune Arc is awed and inspired by you. And just between you and me, I've caught him staring at you more than once." She finished that sentence with a wink. "Give yourself more credit girl, you're a bad ass beauty to rival any other! Besides you two are so~ _cute_ together. "

Ruby: "Haha knock it off. You're starting to sound like Yang."

Nora: "Just call me big sister number two~! But seriously Ruby, if you really want to be with Jaune then I suggest you start making your move. I don't know how serious she is, but Neo clearly has some interest in him. At this rate it's only a matter of time."

Ruby: "Well how do I do that? She is around him almost twenty-four seven. Gerr"

Nora: "Flirt, duh!"

Ruby: "How?"

Nora "Now if I knew that then I wouldn't have had that much trouble with Ren. -fraid you're just going to have to figure that one out on your own. Hmm you could start with clinging to him more. Doesn't look like Jaune minds and more skinship never hurt anyone~"

Ruby now had the answer to why she was so irritated watching how close Neo and Jaune were getting, but with that one answer several new questions rose to take its place. She'd need time to process all this information. Oh that's right, Neo had dragged Jaune out of the house to who knows where. She had time before they got back.

Nora: "Welp~ I need to go make sure Ren isn't getting into any trouble."

Ruby: "Pfft Isn't it usually the other way around?"

Nora: "Naw~ But don't tell Ren that. Heh heh Alright Ruby, the doctor is officially out. Go flirt your butt off and call me in the morning~"

And with that she gave Ruby a wink good bye before leaving the room to find her stoic boyfriend. All that talk about love had made her a little lonely and she wanted to be spoiled. Once more lying on the bed, Ruby let the thoughts wash over her as she tried to take everything in. But the more she tried to think about it, the more distracted she got.

Ruby: "What are they up to?"


End file.
